France defeated reigning world champions Serbia in a five-set thriller during Saturday`s Volleyball Nations League matches, marking Serbia`s fifth tie-breaker loss this season. This defeat leaves Serbia winless at the bottom of the standings with a 0-7 record and 5 points. France improved their position, moving to ninth with a 3-4 record and 9 points. Meanwhile, in Istanbul, hosts Turkiye maintained their perfect record by sweeping Korea 3-0. Turkiye now stands at 7-0 with 19 points, one of only two undefeated teams, placing second behind Italy on point ratio. Korea is near the bottom, 17th with a 1-6 record and 3 points.
France’s Helena Cazaute tries to overcome the Serbian block
In the match against Serbia, France twice recovered from a set deficit to ultimately secure a 3-2 victory in the decisive fifth set (21-25, 25-16, 16-25, 25-15, 15-13). France`s offense was superior, recording 58 successful attacks compared to Serbia`s 46. Captain and outside hitter Helena Cazaute was instrumental in the win, scoring 26 points, including four blocks and an ace. Opposite Iman Ndiaye also made significant contributions with 22 points (three blocks, one ace), and outside hitter Sabine Haewegene added 12 points for the French side.
Sabine Haewegene described the match as “full of twists and turns,” highlighting the team`s resilience: “We didn`t give up until the end. We knew how to stay united.” She praised the team spirit, stating, “We have a great group. Everyone plays together and encourages each other.” Haewegene expressed joy and pride in defeating Serbia, noting, “It`s huge to win against Serbia and I`m happy and proud of the team.” She added that they enjoy playing and manage the demanding schedule well, hoping to continue their winning momentum to reach the Finals.
Serbia performed well in blocking but couldn`t secure their first win. Their middle blockers were key defensively, with captain Maja Aleksic and 20-year-old Hena Kurtagic contributing significantly. Aleksic had five blocks and two aces for a total of 14 points, while Kurtagic added 12 points. The leading scorer for Serbia was 20-year-old outside hitter Vanja Ivanovic, who scored 15 points solely through attacks.
Hosts Turkiye dominated their match against Korea in Istanbul, achieving a swift 3-0 victory (25-11, 25-13, 25-17). Turkiye`s middle blockers were the top scorers: 21-year-old Berka Buse Ozden with 12 points and 23-year-old Deniz Uyanik with 11 points. Both players contributed three aces and two blocks each, and showed high efficiency (65% combined) in their attacks. For Korea, opposite Jiyun Moon was the top scorer with nine points, all from attacks.
The final day of the VNL week features nine matches across different locations. Action in Hong Kong includes Bulgaria vs Thailand (13:00 local time / 05:00 UTC), Czechia vs Japan, and a key match between hosts China and defending champions Italy (20:00 local time / 12:00 UTC). In Istanbul, matches include Belgium vs Canada, Korea vs Dominican Republic, culminating in a highly anticipated game between Turkiye and Brazil (19:30 local time / 16:30 UTC). Belgrade will host Germany vs Netherlands, France vs USA, and Serbia vs Poland.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick